Family Ties
by darkmagic-luvr
Summary: They just wanted a chance to be whole. klaroline adoption fic.
1. Chapter 1

******Title:** Family Ties  
Ships: klaroline, elejah (hints in the next chapter)**  
****Rating:** PG-13  
**Spoilers: **up until s3 to be safe.**  
****Warnings: **uh...real world problems?  
Author's Note: I would like to take a moment to say that although I have read the adoption laws of Virginia, Ireland and Florida, I have no real knowledge of what it takes to adopt a child. This was originally posted on my tumblr, thecunningclock, but I decided - what the hell? Why not upload it here?

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They had been trying to get a baby for ten years.

After half a century of marriage everything had settled down for Klaus and Caroline. Damon had finally stopped calling to scream about how _stupid_ she was and that Klaus was _evil_ and didn't have the _capacity_ for love and had finally, grudgingly gone to dinner with them a few times. Kol was still a prick, but as the years went by Caroline learned that he wasn't coming onto her as much as he was just overprotective. Like really, really _ridiculously_ overprotective…of Klaus. Kol had Klaus daggered him in order to throw Mikael off their trail. Or maybe it was the harem of angry girl vamps he'd pissed off in Scotland. Whatever, point was he loved his big brother and Caroline took every opportunity to make fun of him for it.

The most stubborn person that Klaus and Caroline had to convince was Rebekah, who refused to believe they were the real deal. It had taken twenty five years, three close calls with vampire hunters, one werewolf bite and Caroline pulling a batman on a warlock in Prague after he had tried to barbecue Rebekah with a bedazzled flamethrower. After that, Rebekah was almost as big a fan of her as Klaus was.

Bonnie was a different story altogether. When Caroline and Klaus first started dating, Bonnie had fallen off the face of the planet, going the Damon route and telling Caroline that Klaus was the biggest mistake she would have ever made. It had hurt, not just Caroline, but Klaus too. It was one thing to insult him, but it was another thing entirely to insult Caroline. Forty years later and just the mention of Bonnie's name sent Caroline spiraling into guilt and a depression that lasted for weeks.

So when Elijah answered the phone one Tuesday afternoon and recognized the voice on the other end asking for Caroline, it came as quite a shock to everyone. Bonnie had become a mother, and a grandmother. She was older and graying and when she saw Caroline walking up her driveway her hard, cold expression - the one she had worn ever since she had left Mystic Falls on her 21st birthday - crumbled. It was during Bonnie and Caroline's reconciliation that Caroline and Klaus had their fourth epiphany as a couple.

They wanted a baby.

It was a long, extensive process. When they told the family that they were planning to adopt Kol threw a fit, Elijah stayed quiet and Rebekah was completely supportive. Kol's argument (a.k.a. the whiny, pouty, screaming match) consisted of mostly inane question and thinly veiled insults, but he did have a few points. Like what they would do with a human child, or if they were going to just compel someone to give them a kid and what if something tried to eat the thing? They were vampires, _duh_, it wasn't out of the question.

Rebekah had rolled her eyes and shoved Kol over the back of the couch, planting her hands on her hips and glaring down at him where he laid sprawled across the sofa. "We're not going to _eat_ the baby."

Kol snarled, for the first time looking genuinely angry. "How do you know?" he hissed, sitting up, propping his forearms on his knees and ignoring Elijah's 'shoes off the _couch_, Kol'. "How do you know one of us wont slip up one day? He could-"

"Or she."

"-could fall and scrape his knee. Blood, Bekah. We're _vampire's_. We survive off _blood,_ and sometimes you can't control those urges-"

Caroline interrupted with a snort, her eyes narrowing on Kol from across the room. "I knew you read _Twilight_." Kol swung his head around to fix her with a blank stare.

"I'm serious, little sister," said Kol quietly. He dropped his head back, looking upside down at Elijah, his eyes pleading despite the awkward angel. "Back me up, Eli. You know this is a bad idea."

Elijah had been standing near the fireplace, a swirling a glass of wine slowly in his hand as he stared at the floor without expression. He looked up after a moment, swinging his eyes from Kol to Caroline to Rebekah and finally settling on Klaus.

"You want this, brother?" asked Elijah softly, lowering his eyes slightly, unfocused. "Even after Zahari?"

Rebekah pressed her fingers to her mouth, fighting the grimace off her face and not really succeeding. Kol didn't even bother to hide the disgusted curl of his lip.

Caroline was the one who broke the silence, fixing Rebekah with a nasty look. She had a feeling about what Elijah was talking about… "Who?"

"_Tatia's_ son," spat Rebekah. "Nik dotted on the boy. He was devastated when-"

Klaus' interrupted Rebekah with a growl, his eyes flashing yellow. She immediately shut her mouth with an audible click, turning her nose up and away petulantly. Elijah hadn't taken his eyes off of Klaus and he stepped forward with purpose, drawing the eyes of his family back to him.

"Nik?"

Caroline frowned. Elijah never called Klaus 'Nik'. It was his younger siblings name for him, and her's when the moment suited her.

Klaus' had met his brother's eyes and nodded once. And just like that, Kol was as on board with the plan as Rebekah was. Elijah even pulled his brother into a hug and congratulated them both.

If only it had been so easy.

Caroline had wanted to do the adoption thing the right way. No compelling some random family into giving them their child. It would have been too messy, too many people would know about the child and it would just cause a scandal. Elijah had agreed and started making arrangements for legal documents they could pass off as their own.

The therapist the adoption agency had sent to their home had been immediately suspicious of them.

"Aren't the two of you a little young to be starting a family?" she had asked, adjusting her block glasses on the bridge of her nose, giving Caroline a scrupulous once over before flashing her eyes over to Klaus.

The interview had only gone downhill after that. Caroline had ended up compelling the bitch into tolerating them (she didn't want to go overboard, they were supposed to be human after all) and sent her on her way. Klaus had leaned against the sofa with his arms folded over his chest, smirking at her after she had finished seeing Dr. Bitch-Face off.

"That could have gone better."

Caroline sneered back at him, a habit she had picked up from Kol and Rebekah when it came to Nik and his sass. "Forgive me for not tolerating judgy female-types who hit on my husband."

That got her an eyebrow raise. "Is that what she was doing?"

Caroline snorted. "Please, like you didn't notice her eyes _glued to your crotch_ for last forty-five minutes."

Klaus shrugged at the same moment Rebekah walked in, shoving her brother in the shoulder in passing, scoffing. "Please. I wasn't even in the room and I could tell. She smelt like a bitch in heat."

Kol's laughter echoed around the house for half an hour after that comment.

Turned out that Dr. Bitch-Face had been right. Caroline and Klaus looked young and virile and in love. They had to lie on their application. Instead of forty years of marriage it was four. Instead of the 17 years Caroline had aged when she was alive, she was 21 to Klaus' 26 (the same age he had been for over a thousand years). They wanted a family though, that much they didn't have to fib. And the longer it took for them to be approved by the agency the more desperate they became. It took two years.

"Why couldn't we have just compelled an orphanage or something?" grumbled Kol after one very long day of discussing the adoption agency with Caroline (much to his chagrin). The fact that he had said _we_ was not lost on either Caroline or Elijah, who was flipping through an Ikea magazine and nursing a glass of wine. They both sent him the same blank look.

Obviously the conversation was dropped.

Three months after, Klaus and Caroline had been introduced to Maria Douglas. At six months pregnant, Maria had been one of the sweetest fifteen year olds Caroline had met in her life. She had run away from home and her abusive boyfriend and she wasn't ready to be a mother. The Mikaelson's were more than happy to provide refuge for her. And they did, for two hopeful months, just before Maria's boyfriend somehow managed to track her down.

The crime scene had been horrific, even Klaus had to admit. Which said something about humanity.

They didn't even get a chance to shed blood before the police took him away. They would have to wait for retribution.

The 26 year old they only had a chance to meet once in a law office in New York had a miscarriage before anyone had a chance to breathe. That was just unfortunate; it had been absolutely no one's fault. There had been nothing Caroline or Klaus could have done to change that outcome.

But it didn't stop either of them for blaming themselves.

"I am this close to kidnapping a girl," murmured Klaus one night as they laid together in bed. Caroline turned her face up to look at her husband, noting the haunted look in his eyes.

"This is going to happen, Nik," whispered Caroline, reaching up to trace his bottom lip with her fingertips, drawing his face down to her. His teeth snapped at her fingers, making Caroline squeal as he rolled her over onto her back.

His solemn attitude returned after a moment. His body weight pressed against hers, her knees locked against his hips. "I know it will," he said against her cheek. Caroline felt him smirk against her skin and couldn't help smiling back into the darkness. "Patience is everything."

"Please. Have you met yourself?"

They had been _so close_ only last year.

Everything had gone so smoothly. Jody had been nice, friendly even, if a little put off by the two of them. She had signed the papers; they had paid for her care. They had been with her for eight months; Caroline was in the devilry room with her when she went into labor. Rebekah had cried a little when she held the baby boy in her arms, Klaus had propped his chin on his wife's shoulder while she held their son.

Fifteen days. They had gotten to keep their son for fifteen days before a lawyer knocked on their door and told him that their child's _real_ mother had changed her mind and wanted her baby back. They could have fought it. They had _wanted _to fight it…but they couldn't.

This time wasn't any different. They put in the time, the money, the bonds necessary to have Jaylen like and trust them with her unborn child, but in the end the grandmother of their child had found out about the baby and decided she was going to raise her herself.

They were in the hospital when they found out, with Elijah just down the hall, watching everything, listening with his vampire superpowers. Caroline had started crying before Jaylen's older sister had finished talking, burying her head into Klaus' neck. He held her, but didn't try to sooth her sobs. He was too tired.

They switched roles soon enough, Klaus' fingers digging into Caroline's back as he fought back the emotions from the whole fucking ordeal. Deep down he knew this was fair, karmic justice for his sins.

"It's not on purpose, Nik," Caroline murmured into Klaus' neck, running her figures through his hair soothingly while he clung to her. "It's not about us at all."

"I can't take much more of this, Caroline," said Klaus, pulled out of his wife's arms and looking down at her seriously. Caroline's mouth opened partway, not quite sure what he was trying to say to her. Klaus' eyes scanned her face, reaching up to brush her bangs out of her face. "Can't I just compel her?"

If he was trying to be funny it wasn't working. Caroline could hear the truth in his voice. At this point it might be their only option. She slid her hand across his neck, pressing her palm against his collarbone. To anyone else it might have looked like she was being supportive. Klaus knew she was going to break his neck if he so much as said one wrong word.

But he was so tired of being disappointed. And for a man that didn't tolerate disappointment he thought he had taken the last few years extremely well. But his patience was wearing dangerously thin, and he hadn't been lying when he had said he couldn't take much more.

"Excuse me," down at the end of the hall, where neither Caroline nor Klaus had noticed him, Elijah had spotted Jaylen's mother and the identical strawberry colored hair she shared with her daughter. Wide brown eyes turned to look at him as Elijah jogged up to her.

"Yes?"

"My name is Elijah Mikaelson," he introduced himself as pleasantly as he could to the woman who had just crushed his brother and sister-in-law. Her eyes hardened in recognition and he talked fast before she could interrupt him. "My brother and his wife had arranged to adopt Jaylen's daughter."

The woman huffed, crossing her arms tightly and glared. Elijah clenched his teeth. "I'm sorry that they have to be disappointed, but I'm going to raise my granddaughter until Jaylen comes to her senses and decides to be the mother she was intended to be."

A small voice in the back of Elijah's head mentioned how swell it was that vampires didn't burn when faced with religion. Instead of snarling at the woman he sighed. "I know you think you're doing what's right for your daughter, but I've met Jaylen. She's been to my home. I feel like I've gotten to know her over these last nine months, as well as the rest of my family. She's 17 years old, Ms. Lancaster. She knows what she wants."

"How _dare _you," she hissed, stepping closer to Elijah. He held his ground, not even pretending she intimidated him. As if sensing the superior being in front of her, Ms. Lancaster rethought her strategy and stepped back again, but continued glaring. "Now I am sorry your brother has to go through something like this, but he's young enough. They'll get another chance."

"This has been their fourth," said Elijah quietly. She at least had the decency to look surprised. "My brother…he wasn't always the man he is now. But if there's anyone who deserves to have a family it's him. He and Caroline are going to make amazing parents. They just need the chance."

Caroline adjusted the strap of her purse on her shoulder slowly, biding her time while Klaus said one last goodbye to Jaylen while her mother was nowhere to be found. She glanced down the hall where she knew the nursery was located, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. Would anyone _really_ notice if she picked up a baby and boogied out of there at vampire speed?

She was saved from wondering long as Elijah rounded the corner, sporting a smile that nearly split his face in two. Caroline's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "What the hell are you so happy about-?"

She squeaked as Elijah wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground, spinning her around a dozen times until she was laughing breathlessly along with him. He set her back down, placing his hands on her shoulders, grinning like a maniac. "Jaylen's mother reconsidered."

Caroline felt like she was falling. She stared at him, blinking quickly. "What?"

"She's waving her parental rights over Jaylen. You get to keep your baby."

"We…" Caroline's mouth moved wordlessly as she processed Elijah's words.

"Caroline?" their heads turned to Klaus, frowning curiously at the both of them. Elijah smiling like a jackass, and Caroline looking like she'd just been hit by a bus.

"We get to keep her," breathed Caroline, finding her voice. The confusion on Klaus' face vanished, and he became very serious.

"What did you just say?"

"Jaylen's mom changed her mind," said Caroline, her voice getting slightly pitchy. She pulled away from Elijah and reached for Klaus, touching his arm tentatively. "We get to keep her."

"We…" Klaus may have adopted Caroline's impeccable vocabulary, or at least the lack of it. He looked to Elijah for confirmation, for the rejection he knew was coming. Elijah could see it in his face, that this was too good to be true.

"Go see your daughter, brother."

The smiles on their faces could have powered a city block, and before Elijah could even blink they were gone. Elijah looked down, still smirking but trying desperately to control himself. There was so much to do…they were prepared, of course, but this time it was real. Digging into his pocket, Elijah pulled out his phone, dialing home to tell Rebekah and Kol the very good news.

They were whole at last.


	2. Chapter 2

******Title:** Family Ties  
Ships: klaroline, elejah**  
****Rating:** T  
**Spoilers: **up until s3 to be safe.**  
****Warnings: **violence, swearing, murder - general Kol shenanigans  
**Author's Note:** This is mostly Kol centric. Because he gives me feels. It's also unbeta'd, so you've been warned. This is also longer than the first part…and there will be more, don't worry.**  
**

* * *

"What's wrong with Klaroline?"

"You want them to name their daughter with a combination of their names, Kol? Really?"

"Well maybe if _someone_had already picked a name we wouldn't have to go through this," said Kol pointedly, looking hard at Klaus and Caroline.

They had been at this for hours, trying to come up with a name for their child. Klaus looked over at Caroline blankly, raising an eyebrow. Kol did have a point. They'd been at this for ten years; the least they could have done was come up with a few names they liked. But Caroline hadn't wanted to jinx it and had forbade (_forbade_, yeah, that had been an interesting conversation/argument/lamp smashing against the wall near his head because it was her way or the freaking highway) Klaus from bringing it up.

Caroline ignored him and instead glared at Kol. "You can't tell what a person's name should be before you've even met them."

Kol rolled his eyes, jabbing his finger in her direction. "You're ridiculous."

"Let's keep the conversation civil, shall we?" offered Elijah, looking from one member of his family to the next. Kol was sprawled in an armchair across from the couch Klaus and Caroline were sitting in. Rebekah was sitting cross-legged on the floor next to Caroline's feet, holding the baby, who she had been hoarding all afternoon.

"I still say she looks like a Charlotte."

Kol made a face. "Not that horrible girl you were friends with when we were human?"

Klaus covered a smirk behind his hand. "Friends…lovers. What's the difference, eh Bekah?"

"_Nik!_"

Caroline toed her husband's thigh, reprimanding him for the comment. He flashed a grin in her direction before leaning forward to flick the back of Rebekah's head. "Don't be so shrill, sister, you'll disturb the baby."

Rebekah snarled at him, but didn't say another word as she cuddled her niece closer to her chest. Kol shook his head at the three of them, grinning broadly. "She should get used to it now, we're not going anywhere."

That was directed at Elijah, who clenched his jaw to prevent himself from bringing up the argument he had been trying to make over the last few days. Klaus and Caroline had proven time and time again that they could control their bloodlust in nearly any situation, but Kol and Rebekah were different. Their temper's sometimes got the better of them, and with a child around something was sure to happen eventually that tested their control over their monsters.

Elijah had thought it might be best that the two of them live somewhere else for a while, at least until their newest addition was old enough to defend herself if she needed too. Needless to say, the idea was met by a chorus of outrage.

"We're thinking too hard about this," said Elijah, deciding to ignore Kol's barb and continue with the naming of his niece. "What's the first name that comes you your mind?"

A thoughtful silence descended over the room, even Kol turned away from Elijah to stare at the baby with narrowed eyes and a contemplative turn on his mouth. Caroline was leaning over Rebekah's shoulder, their foreheads touching intimately - like real sisters - as they stared down at the baby.

"Cecilia." All eyes turned to Klaus; his elbow was propped up on the armrest, leaning his jaw on his fist. His eyes flickered briefly to Caroline before they were back on his daughter.

"Cecilia Mikaelson," repeated Kol, letting the name hang in the air for a few moments to let it sink in. He nodded, smirking. "I like it."

Caroline's face was practically split she was smiling so hard. "I like it too."

"Middle name?" asked Elijah lightly.

"Elizabeth," was Klaus' immediate reply. "For Caroline's mother."

"She would have liked that," said Caroline softly, already back to staring at little Cecilia. The baby squirmed slightly in Rebekah's arms and Caroline reached out for her, making grabby motions with her fingers. "Gimme."

"Alright, well," started Kol, standing up with an exaggerated stretch. "I'm off. Need to get away from all," he gestured at Rebekah and Caroline. "_This._"

"Coward," muttered Rebekah without any heat, raising onto her knees to hand Cecilia off to Caroline. Klaus just waived him off, but Elijah watched him go with narrowed, calculated eyes. He could have sworn…No; it was just Kol being Kol.

When you're a vampire years go by in moments, always traveling, suspended in time even as the world evolves around you. But with a baby in the family now, time seemed to come to a screeching halt, and every moment of that first year the Mikaelson's could remember with striking clarity.

Good moments and bad.

Mostly they were good moments; Rebekah with baby food splattered across her front, Cecilia imitating the funny faces Kol would make, Klaus falling asleep in the nursery with his daughter curled against his bare chest, Elijah lying flat on the ground - suit and all – playing peek-a-boo, Caroline and Cecilia bundled up so tightly it was ridiculous, standing in the snow. But all of them paled in comparison to the one bad. The Very Bad.

It hadn't taken long for the rest of the supernatural world to learn that the Big Bad Mikaelson Family had adopted a human child. The Salvatore's for instance, paid a visit just to see if it was true. Klaus blamed them for confirming the rumors and for what subsequently happened after their visit.

Cecilia was 11 months old when Elijah finally persuaded Caroline and Klaus to take a break and go somewhere for an evening out. They had whined and complained and made excuses but eventually they did give in (because they had to admit it had been a _while_since they'd had sex after adopting Cecilia) and made Elijah promise to look out for their child.

Elijah had gotten a phone call from Elena literally thirty seconds after Klaus and Caroline had pulled out of the driveway. Something about blood and human flesh stuck in her teeth and a swimming pool, Elijah was _not_being very clear when he told Rebekah that she had to watch the baby as he all but ran out of the house.

Under normal circumstances this would have been absolutely fine. But it had been three days since Rebekah had fed and she had been planning to spend the evening ripping apart the town. So it was with great trepidation that the role of babysitter fell to Kol.

Kol was _not_pleased.

"Seriously?" Rebekah called over her shoulder as she pulled her coat on, glaring at her brother. "You've watched her dozens of times, why is this any different?"

"Because someone else has _always_ been around," hissed Kol, his fingers curled into his palms. "Nobody _trusts_me with the baby-"

"You've been reluctant around her at best, brother," interrupted Rebekah with a tsk, buckling her coat and propping her hands on her hips impatiently. "It'll do you good to spend some time with her. _Alone_."

Kol snarled as he watched his sister blur out of the house without another word, his teeth grinding together angrily. Dropping his head back with a huff, Kol turned around to occupy himself for the evening and stopped. His little brunette niece was sitting in her swing, staring at him with wide blue eyes and open mouthed curiosity.

His shoulders slumped, because damn it all if he didn't love her just a little bit. Shaking his head he walked over to the swing and lifted Cecilia up, holding her to his chest and grinning down at her (without fangs, Klaus had punched him through a wall the first and only time he'd done that…). "We are going to have a _terrible_time together," he said brightly, cocking his head when she smiled back at him. "Your mum and dad wont be back until morning, Auntie Bex is going to whore herself out to the town and Elijah's gone to fuck the doppelganger. How did I become the most reliable one?"

Cecilia babbled at him, reaching up to stick her fingers up his nose. He intercepted her hand casually and press a quick kiss to her fingers, immensely glad that his family wasn't around to see him being all…._domesticated_. It was sickening, and bad enough that he indulged the girl when she played. Cece wiggled impatiently in his arms.

"What am I going to do with you?" he muttered, ruffling her hair playfully. She beamed at him, babbled again, and he sighed. His options were limited. He could stay home and play babysitter and when Klaus and Caroline came home they would gush over how great of an uncle he was and how he should do this more often.

Option B was to go to the pub with the kid and use her to pick up women.

Option B was a go not even twenty minutes later.

Five minutes after that he'd already been hit on twice by the wait staff, and Cecilia had been given ice cream.

"Oh, she is just _adorable_."

Kol looked up, smirk on his face, prepared for any level of attractive this woman would turn out to be. He nearly froze. The _gorgeous_ redhead was bent over the table to coo at Cecilia, showing off cleavage and creamy white skin that just _begged_him to sink his fangs in. She looked up at him, smiling, and flipped her long, wavy red hair over one bare shoulder. Kol imagined what she would look like upside-down.

"Is she yours?"

Kol was a thousand years old. He'd picked up more men and women in his life then most people could even imagine. He'd bedded all sorts of humans, but for him almost nothing compared to a redhead. He loved them; their fire, their hair, their stereotypes. Kol leaned forward, a slow smirk spreading across his face. "My niece," he said smoothly. He turned his head to look at Cecilia, reaching out to nudge her cheek with his knuckles. "Cece, love, can you say hi to the pretty girl?"

Cecilia grinned at the redhead as her uncle told her, reaching a sticky hand in the air to grope for the woman's hair, babbling cutely. Kol could literally _hear_the many hearts skipping in the bar. The redhead practically swooned, and sat down next to Kol without invitation, still smiling at his niece.

"She is absolutely precious." Kol's tongue darted out to wet his lower lip, his eyes falling down her body and coming back up with a hungry glint in them.

"I'm Kol."

Her head turned to him, her ears turning a little red. She gave him a similar once over and held out her hand. "Vivian."

Okay, so Kol wasn't a completely useless guardian. He'd even remembered to grab Cecilia when Vivian traced a long, turquoise painted nail down the inside of his wrist and suggested they go back to his for a drink.

He'd even managed to put her in her crib before he shoved Vivian against the front door and hooked her legs around his waist, snarling into her mouth as she raked her nails across the back of his neck. Kol took her lower lip between his teeth and bit down, drawing blood.

He stopped, pulling away from her mouth, rolling her blood around his tongue. There was something…_wrong_with it.

"Oh that's just perfect," growled Kol, rolling his eyes. Taking a fistful of her hair, he yanked her head back, exposing her throat. "Trying to catch me off my guard, love?"

She actually smiled at him, her blood smeared across her chin from the wound he'd given her. "It worked, didn't it?" she asked huskily. Kol's eyes narrowed at her, his fingers tightening around her throat. She choked, her hands flying up to grab at his wrist. And then that damn smile was back. "We're in the house."

Kol's eyes widened a fraction out of surprise, just before he felt warm hands on his neck and everything went black.

He expected to wake up tied to a chair or maybe something more inventive, like a torture wheel. But when Kol opened his eyes he was staring up at the ceiling of his foyer. He was at home, and he could hear no other heartbeats inside the house. Sitting up, he rubbed the back of his neck, rolling his eyes. What did the werebitch mean to accomplish by getting into his home? He could understand if it were meant to be some sort of warning, but honestly, the worse they could do would be to-

Kol froze, still sitting on the ground. He whipped his head around, ignoring the sharp, lingering pain from the broken neck and concentrated on the upstairs bedroom. Nothing.

"Cece," he breathed, his eyes widening a fraction. He blurred to his feet and (faster than he thought possible) reached the nursery where he'd put his niece down. The light was on, but the crib was empty.

"That _fucking cunt!_" roared Kol, whirling around. He could still smell the bitch in his house, along with the other two (or maybe three) members of her pack that he could make out in the air. They had _touched _things. They had touched Cecilia.

They had _taken_her.

Kol didn't bother with his coat, he left it lying on the ground in front of the door as he stalked after the scents. He was good at tracking, always had been, even as a human. He had a sharp eye for detail and quick reflexes, and it took him less than half a hour to find the pack's _den_.

There were three sentries posted. Adorable. Kol took quick work of the first two easily and let the last suffer slowly, breaking his legs above the kneecaps and splitting his ribcage open. Medical school in the 1700s had been fun, he'd have to remember to thank Elijah for persuading him into going.

Kol waited for the poor bastards howling to stop as his body started to try to mend itself together before he reached down a plucked his heart from his chest. By then, the precious little cave system in front of him was crackling with life and angry pooches in hiking gear.

And there was Vivian, arms folded over her chest and her eyes narrowed. The alpha of the pack in all her fiery glory.

"You miscalculated, darling," snarled Kol, his eyes dark red with blood, his head tilted down slightly. There was darkness in his eyes, his upper lip curled into a snarl as he advanced on the redheaded werewolf and her pack mates. "My brother's the hybrid," he continued, flashing to take out the nearest pack member, dropping him to the floor with ease and continued stalking forward. "And I am well versed in killing werewolves."

Vivian snarled, but her fear was rolling off her in waves. Werewolves, Kol mused, were always so amusingly cocky. All talk. But put them up against an actual vampire and they scampered off with their tails between their legs. Kol smirked back at Vivian, all teeth and sinister. "Kidnapping a baby, Viv? How very audacious of you."

His mocking was what snapped her out of her fear. How interesting that the overzealous puppy didn't like to be insulted. She clamped her jaw shut, growling low in her throat. Kol, ever arrogant in the face of danger, slid his eyes away from her and onto his niece - locked in a _fucking cage_- behind her. He couldn't help the way his posture relaxed slightly, seeing that she was still alright. There were tear streaks down her cheeks, and she was dirty and cold and frightened but there wasn't a scratch on her. He moved closer to Vivian, never taking his eyes off Cecilia.

"I'll be taking my niece back now, _thank you_," he announced casually, turning his eyes back to the redheaded werewolf. She was seething.

"You little _shit_," she snarled. Kol chuckled, shaking his head.

"_Oh-ho_, watch your language in front of the baby." a faceless, useless werewolf lunged at him with a stake. Kol stuck his hand through the brute's chest with barely a glance at him. He raised the man's heart to his eyes, twisting his mouth contemplatively. "Pathetic. The whole lot of you…" his eyes snapped back onto Vivian, letting the heart in his hand fall to the ground. He stepped on the damn thing, relishing the feel of tearing muscle beneath his boot heel. "_Absolutely pathetic_."

"You're _brother-_"

"I don't give a flying _fuck_ what my dear brother's done to offend you so," snapped Kol, flashing into Vivian's personal space and taking her by the throat. Blood rushed into his eyes, his rage clouding his senses. "You tried to _seduce_me to kill my brother's daughter. I take personal offence to that."

Her eyes flickered away, eyeing the only two surviving members of her pack. Kol tilted his head, drawing her attention back to him. "Thinking of surrender already, love?"

"What would be the point," snarled Vivian, her teeth snapping together. Her foot scraped backwards against the ground. "You're just going to kill us all anyway…"

Kol looked thoughtful for a moment, turning his head and winking at the two pack members staring at them. "And here I was, thinking you didn't understand me," he said dryly, swinging his head back to Vivian. "Put up a fight then, love."

He took quite work of the two men who lunged at him, snapping their necks and taking their hearts. Vivian hadn't moved an inch. Her eyes were red and watery and angry, she sucked in a breath as Kol come back to her, pressing the length of his body against hers, trapping her with his arms.

"You know what I'm going to do?" asked Kol softly, lowering his head to brush his lips along her neck, breathing in the scent of dog breath and mangos. Vivian shook against him, not even bothering to use her previous façade to cover up her fear. Kol ran one hand up her side to her face, brushing the backs of his fingers along her cheek. "I'm going…to let you go."

Vivian's eyes snapped onto him, widening in surprise. Her mouth opened wordlessly.

"Do you know why?" continued Kol, stepping away from her and turning to the cage his niece was locked in, crouching down to break the lock. "Because I want you to be the messenger." He scooped Cecilia up into his arms, taking comfort when she buried her face against his neck. He rubbed her back soothingly, straightening up before turning back to the redhead. "I want you to tell every wolf, vampire, hybrid and witch you come across that Cecilia Mikaelson is _not_to be touched. Or they will suffer as you sweet little friends have suffered." Blood pooled in his eyes as one last warning. "You're lucky she's unhurt. I would have eviscerated you and forced you to stuff your own organs back inside you with your bare hands if it had been different."

Hitching Cecilia more securely into his arms, Kol turned his head down to look at her, smiling brightly. "Say bye-bye, Cece."

Okay so that may have traumatized the child, but he was _beyond_furious and inappropriate humor was his coping mechanism. He left Viv with a wink and a sharp snap of his teeth before she had the chance to move an inch. Only when they were clear of the werewolves super secret hideout did Cecilia start crying.

"I know love, I know," murmured Kol soothingly, wrapping his arms around the girl and holding her tightly to his chest. "You're safe now, 'm here."

By the time they reached the house Cecilia's cries had turned to hiccups and there were cars in the drive. Kol groaned out loud, wondering why he had to leave his phone behind tonight of all nights (Elijah reprimanded him enough as it was 'It's why you _have_a phone, Kol. To use it!'). Hopefully it was just Rebekah and Elijah, and not-

"_KOL!_"

"Fuck," he muttered, stopping in his tracks as the front door slammed open and Klaus came storming out. The rest of them weren't far behind, but at the sudden noise, Cecilia started wailing again, clutching at Kol's shirt and causing everyone to freeze.

"_Shh_, love." Kol pressed his lips to the crown of the baby's head, muttering soothing words (half of which he wouldn't be able to recall at a later date when Rebekah asked him). He could feel the surprised looks on him, and for the first time in about three hundred years wished that the earth would open up and swallow him.

"Kol…what happened?" asked Elijah cautiously. Caroline was inching closer to him, reaching out for her baby, and when she was close enough Kol handed her over without complaint. Cecilia whimpered for him, and Kol actually had to look away from her. Caroline frowned at him.

"You have blood on your hands."

An instant after the words left her lips, Klaus was in front of him, baring his teeth and snarling. "_What did you do, Kol?_"

"I rescued her," Kol snarled back, shoving Klaus out of his personal space. "You should be _grateful_, you sod!"

"I should be grateful?" asked Klaus with a step forward; his tone sent warning bells off in Kol's head. "Why should I be grateful when _you're the reason my daughter was kidnapped in the first place!_"

Kol felt his mouth drop open. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't, it wasn't at all. That had been the only thing keeping him from murdering the entire fucking town, that it _wasn't his fault_. Caroline said something softly about taking the baby inside, until it was just the Mikaelson sibling standing outside in the cold night air.

"It wasn't my fault." the softness of his voice surprised him, it surprised the rest of his siblings too. His throat felt tight, and he swallowed to make that feeling go away. He tried again. "It wasn't my fault, Nik."

He wondered why his brother's face had gotten so concerned. Klaus stepped forward, reaching out cautiously. "Okay," he said gently. "I believe you, it's okay."

Kol shook his head as Klaus wrapped his arms around him, his breath catching in his lungs because it was sort of hard to breathe. Klaus' arms tightened, over his shoulder Kol could see Rebekah with her hand covering her mouth, pulled in close to Elijah's chest. They both looked so sad….

"Are you going to dagger me for this, Nik?" asked Kol, his voice sounding thick and muffled by Klaus' shoulder.

"No, little brother," whispered Klaus, one of his hands coming up to press against the back of Kol's neck. He nodded weakly, and maybe it was out of relief or exhaustion that he let himself relax in his older brother's arms.

It was a few minutes before Klaus spoke up again, his voice conversational. "Tell me," he started. "Did you kill them all?"

"I did leave one alive," said Kol, pulling back and looking Klaus in the eye. His brother looked surprised by his answer.

"Oh?"

"To be the messenger," explained Kol, his mouth thinning in anger. "No one fucks with our family."


	3. Chapter 3

******Title:** Family Ties  
Ships: klaroline, rebekol**  
****Rating:** T  
**Spoilers: **up until s3 to be safe.**  
****Warnings: **violence, swearing, murder (it's actually a true story...you'll see), incest (non graphic)  
******Author's Note:** It's a little Caroline-centric, but I think I can do better with her, so you might get another Caroline/Cecilia fic. Now I've been to other zoo's in the US, but I'm using the Phoenix Zoo because I live here, I have a friend who works there, and I've been there so many times I could walk it in my sleep. It's also the largest non-profit zoo in the US and…because I can that's why.

* * *

After that first year, time started to fly by and before they knew it Cecilia was four. A beautiful, dark haired, blue eyed little four year old…utterly spoiled and so argumentative, that it was almost impossible to get a word in edgewise, explaining why she was put in time out. Every member of the Mikaelson family spoiled Cecilia, so much so that disciplining her became a bit…challenging. Elijah and Klaus remembered their father's treatment of them, and hadn't wanted to behave to Cecilia in any way, shape or form as Mikael had toward them. Unfortunately they were both short tempered, had little patience for explaining things and usually ended up giving into the little girl just to make her tantrum's cease.

Caroline was much better, even Rebekah had more patience (though she promised Cecilia things in exchange for good behavior). Kol was not allowed to participate in disciplining the baby. For one, he was conveniently never around whenever Cecilia misbehaved, and two... Ever since The Very Bad incident that no one talked about, Cecilia had clung to Kol like a security blanket. He was her favorite, and he couldn't stand being cross with her.

"I don't understand how you put up with him," said Caroline one night, shaking her head as she brushed out her hair. Klaus leaned around the doorframe of their bathroom and gave her an amused look.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked, sticking his toothbrush in his mouth. Caroline rolled her eyes at him.

"Kol," she clarified. Klaus' expression didn't change. "The way he treats Cecilia. He let's her do whatever she wants and-"

"Hold on," interrupted Klaus, his voice muffled around his toothbrush. He pulled it out and pointed at her with it, a bit of toothpaste clinging to the side of his mouth. She smirked at him. "You _want_ Kol to be an authority figure in our daughter's life? I don't think he's been capable of that _ever_."

Caroline sighed, dropping her head backward exasperatedly. "I don't think it's good for her to rely on him like this."

Klaus stared at her blankly for a moment, then turned back to the bathroom and tossed his toothbrush into the sink. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand he walked toward her, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"Cece is always going to think of him as Fun Uncle Kol," he said, his voice all know-it-all-y. "Yes, he's a terrible role model, but he's better than say…Damon."

Caroline snorted. "You really need to get over this thing you have with Damon."

"He's just so much fun to bother," mumbled Klaus against her hair, smirking and pulling away. He touched her cheek lightly. "Does Kol really upset you?"

Caroline looked at the floor sheepishly. "No…I just want to monopolize all her attention and it's hard when everything's always 'Uncle Kol this, and Uncle Kol that'." Caroline harrumphed, sticking out her bottom lip. "Pisses me off."

Klaus chuckled at her, swooping down to steal a kiss and then heading toward the bed. "Spend the day with her then. She has the attention span of a golden retriever- watch it!" Caroline's shoe hit the bed post and ricocheted into Klaus's shoulder. He was laughing at her even as she shook her head.

"I can't believe you just compared our daughter to a _dog_."

The next morning, after smacking Klaus across the back of the head before breakfast to the amused and confused faces of her in-laws, Caroline proposed an outing to the family.

"The _zoo?_" Kol's face would have been amusing in any other circumstance. But since Caroline was trying to get her daughter _away_ from him for a little while, at the moment it was down right _annoying_.

"Yes, Kol, the zoo. I'm taking Cece to the zoo." she shrugged, looking at Elijah with splayed hands. "Why is this such a problem?"

Kol shrugged, glancing at Rebekah. She returned his look, but turned back to Caroline with a smile. "I've never liked zoo's," she explained. "I've seen most of the animals in captivity roaming about freely and watching them in cages is depressing."

Caroline waived her off, turning her eyes to Klaus. "Uh-huh, you don't have to go, I thought it would just be me, Klaus and Cece."

Klaus barely managed to suppress a groan, and there was a beat of silence from the other three during which Caroline had a sinking feeling that she may have hurt their feelings. But Elijah didn't look all that upset as he shrugged.

"That sounds like a fantastic idea," he said. "I've actually been meaning to take a…"

Caroline ignored him after that, turning her smug face onto Rebekah and Kol. They were staring at each other again, a silent conversation passing between them. Over the years, Caroline had grown use to the two youngest Mikaelson's communicating this way. Whenever she would bring it up Klaus would shrug and just tell her they were close.

Liar, liar pants on fire. That ass knew the _entire_ time and didn't bothering mentioning it to her _once_.

A heads up would have been very nice.

"We should get going if we want to beat the crowd," mentioned Klaus, already waving a piece of toast in Caroline's face. She rolled her eyes, smiling, and snatched it out of his hand before he got the great idea to start making airplane noises.

"What are you all going to do while we're gone?" asked Caroline offhandedly, munching on her toast. Cecilia, having ignored most of the conversation while she ate cheerio's, looked up at her mother.

"Gone?"

"I told you," muttered Klaus, giving his wife an amused look. "Attention span of a cocker spaniel."

"You said golden retriever earlier."

"What's the difference?"

Caroline turned back to her daughter, shoving Klaus face away from her while his siblings chuckled along with him. Caroline propped her elbows on the countertop, close to Cecilia's face and gave her a grin. "We're going to the zoo."

"Zoo?" repeated Cecilia. She turned her head to look at Kol, then back to Caroline. "Unc'l Kol come?"

Caroline flicked her eyes onto Kol, unable to mask her annoyance with him and earning an outrageously confused look in return. Caroline sighed and shook her head. "No baby, Kol can't come."

Sticking out her bottom lip in a pout, everyone held their breath, waiting for the inevitable tantrum, but Caroline cut her off before it could even start, pulling her out of her highchair with a bright, overwhelming smile. "We'll leave in half a hour."

Okay, so it was forty-five minutes, but in Klaus' defense he only went overboard with the sunscreen because Cece was so freaking pale and he was overprotective and something about skin-cancer, whatever she was too busy tapping her foot impatiently to listen to his excuses. Cece was dressed in her favorite blue dress and bright yellow sneakers (they let her pick her own clothes…sometimes they regretted it) and by the time Caroline had buckled her into her car seat, having babbled all about the zoo for the last almost-hour, she was practically bouncing.

After the Very Bad Incident they didn't talk about, the Mikaelson's had sat down and had a very serious conversation about their home. For the last fifty years they had mostly stuck together; occasionally Kol or Elijah would leave for a moment of solitude, or because Rebekah really couldn't stand Greece for some reason, but they would always come back. Moving was a family decision, something agreed on by everyone and no exceptions. After the Very Bad, they talked about leaving Virginia.

They hadn't been living there very long. After fifty years of missing her home, Caroline had wanted to go back, just to see something familiar and be close to her family. The Mikaelson's couldn't disagree and that was how the werewolves found them. They had to make a decision: stay in the epicenter of trouble and mystical fuckery, or leave for Cecilia's sake.

Arizona was not really on everyone's top ten list. The only thing Caroline knew about Arizona was what she learned from Twilight, and she figured there wasn't much else to know besides sun, cacti and the Grand Canyon.

Eh, well she wasn't wrong.

The restaurants were great (she lived with foodies, and if they liked the places they ate at, then they must have been good), the heat was less than desirable (vampires though, Cecilia was the only one they had to worry about it and hey! Pool in the backyard of their mountaintop home), the driving laws were ridiculous (she was never drinking and driving ever again, no matter what kind of vampire metabolism she had), there were like three malls she could drive to in twenty minutes, and the Phoenix Zoo was _fantastic_.

Caroline loved zoo's. She always had. But _this _zoo…She felt a little bit like an animal nerd as Cece immediately dragged her to Stingray Bay to feed the rays. Klaus made a face and opted out of that, but watched from the fence with a wistful smile on his face as both Caroline and Cecila shrieked and cooed as sardines were suctioned out of their palms.

"Daddy they're squishy!" Klaus shook his head, laughing to himself as Cecilia waved a wet hand in his direction.

Twenty minutes of Cecilia leaning over the edge of the pool stroking the Cownose stingray's, giggling whenever one would break the surface and nuzzle against her hand, before Caroline kissed her cheek and suggested they visit some other animals.

"Can we come back?" asked Cecilia after they washed their hands and headed back to Klaus. Caroline touched her hair.

"Of course we can, love. Maybe you can convince Daddy to go with us." Klaus snorted at her.

"And wind up smelling like a mermaid fart? I don't think so."

"You need to stop watching reruns of _How I Met Your Mother _with Rebekah," mumbled Caroline, reaching down to take Cecilia's hand and heading through the doors leading to the Arizona Trail.

They spent almost an hour looking at the Mexican Wolves. The exact moment Klaus stepped up next to the fence, the four large males padded up, sniffing the air and woofing at him in greeting. It was…amusing to him. Cecilia was terrified at first, clutching at Klaus' pant leg while the wolves yipped and pawed at the ground.

"You are way to smug about this," grumbled Caroline. Klaus had Cece in his arms and was whispering to her soothingly, both of them staring in fascination as the four wolves played with each other and rubbed against the fence. He glanced back at her. Caroline had her camera out, taking a video of the two of them with the wolves. Elijah would get a kick out of it later.

"Are you bored, love?" snickered Klaus. One of the wolves howled in response to his subtle mood change and Cecilia howled back, earning an appreciative look from her father. "That was _perfect_, sweetheart."

"Daddy, you're a wolf," said Cecilia excitedly, patting Klaus' nose.

Caroline snorted. "Oh sweetie, if only you knew."

That earned her a quick kiss on the cheek, but Klaus conceded and they left the enclosure. After that there were the Condors, a pair of mountain lions which Cece made meowing noises at, prairie dogs in their open enclosure who were actually somewhat violent toward one other, the giraffe's, a young male lion playing with two larger females, a trio of juvenile tigers, fennec foxes - the list went on. By the time lunch rolled around Klaus had already pulled out a small sketch pad filled with quick doodles of Cece and the various animals they'd encountered so far.

Caroline was smiling around the straw of her frozen lemonade as Cecilia babbled about seeing the elephants next.

"I remember there was some elephant that used to paint," said Caroline thoughtfully. Klaus raised his eyes to look at her, intrigued by the idea. She nodded. "Yeah…Ruby the elephant. She painted."

"When was this?" asked Klaus, going back to sketching Cecilia stuffing french fries into her mouth. Caroline's face scrunched up in concentration.

"Late 90's I think?" said Caroline. She paused for a moment, leaning over Klaus' shoulder to watch him draw. "She was pregnant I think, and she died."

"That's terrible," said Klaus softly, closing his notebook with a snap and bopping Caroline on the nose with it. She stuck her tongue out at him. "I'll have to see if there are any prints in the gift shop."

"Momma, momma, I wanna see monkeys too."

Monkey Village had been a bad idea. It was an open enclosure filled with Squirrel Monkeys; they walked right into their sanctuary and, after being told the rules by a slightly unenthusiastic keeper with a farmer's tan and hipster glasses, got to see the small tan and white monkeys up close.

It was fine until a stray pigeon swooped down to land on one of the vines. After that there was chaos. The monkey's tackled the bird to the ground, pinned it down and ripped open it's rib cage. Caroline had been horrified, Klaus had gotten it on camera.

"They're so cute and sweet looking!" she cried as they left the enclosure. Cecilia kept turning her head back to see what all the fuss was about, and Caroline was trying her best to shield her daughter from that kind of mental trauma.

Klaus chuckled at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her in close to him as they continued walking.

One of the cheetah's was lounging in the sun, and no matter how much Klaus tried to gaud her into admitting it, she did _not_geek out about the Andean Bear and the two cubs napping on the rocks near the waterfall.

"The squeal was adorable, love."

"I don't know _what_you're talking about."

Two of the elephants were bathing when they finally reached their exhibit. Klaus and Caroline sat on one of then benches under a mesquite tree and watched Cecilia watch the elephants. Caroline had her arms wrapped around one of his, and her cheek resting against his shoulder.

"This was a good idea," he said softly against the crown on her head. Cecilia turned her head to look back at them, her face filled with awe. Caroline sighed happily and snuggled closer to him.

"I know. I have a feeling we'll be coming here a lot." Klaus chuckled.

"I don't know if I can spend another six hours here love."

"We've been here for six hours!?"

They stayed for another two before, utterly exhausted and a little cranky, they decided to call it a day and head home. Cecilia was fast asleep in her car seat when they pulled onto their street. Caroline was twisted around in her seat, watching her baby sleep; one hand clutching the stuffed pangolin (until that day, Caroline had absolutely no freaking idea what the hell a pangolin was, and she had assumed Cece didn't either, but the girl had just fallen in love with the little animal) and sucking the thumb of her other.

"You hungry?" Klaus asked softly, glancing at her while he drove. The sun was just starting to set, casting orange and yellow against the mountain. Caroline shrugged.

"I could eat."

"Do you want to go inside and I'll pick up something for us all?"

Caroline frowned at the house as Klaus pulled into the driveway, looking up at the windows for any signs of life. "Is anyone else even home?"

"Elijah texted me about ten minutes ago. He'll be home in twenty. Don't know about Kol and Bekah though."

Caroline shrugged again, unbuckling her seatbelt and leaning over to plant a lingering kiss against Klaus' lips. "Italian?" she suggested hopefully, sliding her purse onto her shoulder and reaching for the door.

"You're obsessed."

"I love you!"

Caroline waved goodbye to Klaus as he pulled out of the driveway once again, smoothing her hand over Cecilia's hair and walked through the front door as quietly as she could. Cece had barely stirred from her slumber except to shift to a more comfortable position against Caroline's shoulder. The house seemed almost dead, and Caroline shivered involuntarily as she made her way quietly up the stairs to put Cecilia to bed until Klaus came back with food.

Her daughter's room was at the end of the hall, right next to her and Klaus' bedroom. She stopped suddenly, frowning at the cracked door on her left with light slipping out of it. She could have sworn there was no one else home, though she hadn't exactly been using her senses to check. Creeping forward, Caroline focused her hearing on the room, picking up breathy gasps from Rebekah's room.

Bekah wasn't the type to bring home people, usually they would all take the piss out of her for it when she did. Checking to make sure Cecilia was still asleep, Caroline peeked through the door to try to get a glimpse of whoever Rebekah was with.

"Oh my god."

Covering her mouth with her free hand, Caroline backed away form the door; they didn't stop, so hopefully they hadn't heard her. All the same, Caroline waited a beat for some sort of reaction before she spun on her heel and blurred down the hallway to Cecilia's room.

She was in a daze as she put Cece to bed, tucking her stuffed animal under her arm and turning off the light. Somehow she managed to get downstairs without bursting into Rebekah's room and stopping everything before it could even happen; she pulled out her phone and dialed Klaus, keeping her voice to a shrill whisper when he answered.

_"Yes, Caroline, I'm-"_

"_Rebekah and Kol!_" She hissed, cupping the mouthpiece with her hand. She started pacing frantically, her eyes darting up toward the staircase every few moments when she hallucinated noises. "Rebekah and _Kol_, Nik!"

The other end was silent for a beat, and Caroline could picture her husband blinking at his phone in confusion. _"I'm sorry?"_

"Upstairs," she hissed, ignoring his bewilderment and throwing one hand up in the air. "Oh my god, Nik…_oh my god!_"

Another pause. _"Caroline, I have **no** idea what you're talking about. I'll be home soon."_

"Nik-!" But he had already hung up on her. She muttered darkly under her breath for a few moments, sticking her phone back into her pocket and crossing her arms over her chest. With once last, uncomfortable glance upstairs, Caroline turned and headed to the opposite end of the house.

Why she wasn't making as much noise as she possibly could, she didn't know. Maybe it had something to do with having been a vampire for so long. Before it had been a pass for her to be herself with no reservations, now it gave her a chance to lurk and stalk without being noticed.

The kitchen is where Elijah and Klaus found her ten minutes later, both of them talking, and laughing loudly about something or other. She was glaring at the countertop in the dark, earning a weird look from Elijah.

"Cilia upstairs?" he asked, already headed out of the kitchen after depositing the bags of food in his hands on the counter. Caroline nodded absently, her eyes following Klaus as he grabbed plates from the cupboard.

"Nik." she said shortly. He glanced at her over his shoulder, quirking an eyebrow.

"Caroline."

"You hung up on me."

His face twisted in amusement, moving over to her with the plates in his hands. "I was driving, Care."

"It's important."

"Right, what about Kol and Rebekah?" he asked, leaning against the countertop. He was being sassy; her eyes narrowed.

"I _saw _them." Klaus' eyebrows pulled together in confusion.

"Saw wha-?"

"Something smells amazing."

Caroline and Klaus looked up as Rebekah walked into the kitchen, smiling brightly at the two of them with Kol close behind. He shot them a small grin and headed toward the food.

"Saw Elijah upstairs, he's rousing Cece."

"I went to the shop," started Rebekah, opening the fridge. "We now have beverages _other_than blood in here…"

Klaus' eyes flashed from one sibling to the other before Caroline saw the realization click behind them. He swung his head onto her and cleared his throat gently, stepping into her shoulder to whisper in her ear. "Later, Caroline."

"What?!"

But the look on his face told her to drop the subject, so she did, just in time to see a sleepy eyed Cecilia walk in with her uncle, clutching her pangolin to her chest. Kol looked up at her, opened his mouth and paused.

"What the hell kind of creature is that?"

Cecilia was sitting in Caroline's lap as they ate around the coffee table. Elijah normally would have pursed his lips and muttered about decorum blah blah blah, but he seemed relaxed enough to sit along with them and listen to Cecilia prattle on about the animal's they saw at the zoo.

Caroline kept glancing worriedly at Rebekah and Kol, who didn't seem any different than how hey normally were. At once point during dinner Klaus caught her eye and subtly shook his head. Yeah, they would most _definitely _talk about this later.

"I don't get it," huffed Caroline a hour and a half later, throwing her hands up in the hair. They had put Cecilia to bed right after dinner, and Caroline had watched with narrowed interest as Kol and Rebekah went separate ways for the night. Klaus was currently propped against the headboard of their bed, his legs crossed at the ankles as he read and she talked. "I mean…_how?_"

Klaus' looked up at her from his book, obviously having ignored most of her rant. "It's complicated, Caroline."

She snorted, sitting down next to him in bed. She cocked her head to the side in irritation. "You _knew_."

"Of course I knew," said Klaus simply, going back to his book. "I know everything that happens, everywhere, all the time."

Caroline swatted his hip, catching the corner of his lips twitching. "I'm serious, Nik."

With a sigh, Klaus tossed his book to the side, sitting up and leaning closer to Caroline. "It's Kol and Rebekah, Caroline. There's nothing to discus."

Her eyes narrowed. "Does Elijah know too? Have I been making a fool out of myself for the last fifty years?" she demanded, now slightly more angry and hurt than just confused. Klaus shook his head, looking away from her. She pursed her lips and punched him in the shoulder. "Niklaus!"

His eyes snapped onto her immediately. She _never_ used his full name. "No," he said finally. "Elijah does _not_know. And it's better if he never does."

Her face fell as her anger left her. "Why's that?"

It was Klaus' turn to look angry, his upper lip pulled into a slight snarl. Caroline didn't even flinch, she had learned when and when not to react to Klaus and his moods. "Because it's _Elijah_. The fact that they were…" Klaus trailed off, struggling to find the right words, but shook his head when he couldn't come up with any and looked at her with a slightly frown. "What was it they were doing exactly?"

Caroline ducked her head sheepishly. "Making out."

Klaus raised an eyebrow, his voice dry. "Well I can see why your delicate sensibilities were so offended."

"It caught me off guard!" Caroline said loudly, defending herself. In retrospect, it probably wasn't the worst thing she could have caught them doing, especially since it was Rebekah and _Kol_. "You think I was _prepared_to catch my brother and sister sucking face against a desk?"

Klaus burst out laughing, reaching out to encircle his arms around Caroline's waist and pulling her into his lap. He pressed a kiss to her collar bone and another to the underside of her jaw; Caroline relaxed into his arms, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pillowing her head against his shoulder. "If it bother's you so much," he started hesitantly. "Or if you think Cece might catch them going at it-"

"They wouldn't do that when she's around," interrupted Caroline. Her fingers tracing patterns on Klaus' chest, taking her time to answer. "Rebekah is smarter than that and Kol…"

She could feel him smirk against her forehead. "Bekah has him on a tight leash. Always did."

"How are you even okay with it?"

Klaus shrugged. "The only thing that bothered me was the thought that one day they could leave me." Caroline tilted her head up, looking at him sadly.

"You really need to get your priorities in order."

Their bedroom door opened as Klaus laughed at her, catching their attention. They turned their smiles onto Cecilia as she peeked around the door.

"Hi," she said shyly, biting her lower lip. Caroline patted the spot next to her, moving out of Klaus' lap to sit next to him. Her face brightened and she ran in, climbing up onto the bed and bouncing in front of her parents, her brown curls flying around her face.

"Hi, darling," said Klaus, crossing his legs on the bed to give his overactive child some more room. "What's keeping you up?"

"I wanna go back t'da zoo," laughed Cecilia, stilling to catch her breath for a moment. Caroline took the pause in activity to scoop her into her arms, hugging her close.

"You want to go back to the zoo!?" cried Caroline, planting kisses on her cheeks. Cecilia squirmed, giggling breathlessly. "We were just at the zoo, silly!"

"I wanna go _again_," she insisted. She turned her eyes onto Klaus, her face lighting up. "We can see the wolves…"

"It's tempting, monster," chuckled Klaus, reaching out to poke Cecilia on the nose. "Why don't you get some sleep and we'll talk about it in the morning, alright?"

Cecilia took a deep breath, rolling her eyes before she sighed exaggeratedly. "'Kay."

Both parents watched her bounce off. Caroline rolled her head to the side, blinking innocently at Klaus. "I vote for Elijah."

"Second."


End file.
